Write the CEO!!! My "Open Letter"...

Hey, All.

I'm posting an "open letter" (with his knowledge) to Ruger CEO Mike Fifer.
I would encourage everyone in the Ruger "fold" to take a moment, follow the link, and send a similar request to Mr. Fifer. Let's do all we can today to bring the "Letters" program back!
And, once you've submitted your letter to Mr. Fifer, tell everyone that you have by posting to this thread, please! Let's see how much support this really has.
Thank you.

https://www.ruger.com/dataProcess/tellTheCEO.html

Dear Mr. Fifer,

I'm writing this as a long-time admirer of the Ruger marque. I'm a pistol shooter, primarily although I do occasionally shoot rifles and shotguns. Between my father and myself, we own a few Rugers and I, for one, plan to add to the "stable" in my lifetime. I have a son (currently, in the USAF) and two daughters to carry on my legacy.

I've recently entered the world of vintage Ruger ownership. I realize this isn't a market that has a direct impact on Ruger's bottom line. I would like to suggest however, that it is at a minimum a preliminary market for many that "opens the door" for new Ruger ownership. For many, it's a companion market that coincides with an interest (for some, an obsession!) in the current product line.

I know you have a "full plate," as CEO so, I'll make my plea to you sir:
Please reactivate the "Letters" program that allows owners, for a fee, to learn shipping dates, original configurations, and any other available details of their vintage Rugers. I would posit that not only is the program a great resource for happy Ruger owners, it is also a fine public relations asset that has unrealized potential. Obviously, this is made truer the more detail that an archival letter can give.

I ask that you give serious consideration to my earnest request. Deliberate it, discuss it, sleep on it, pray about it, and make a decision appropriate for a 21st Century Company, with its feet planted firmly in the age of information and edification.

Very sincerely yours,
Bill Tipton
Round Rock, TX

Honorably Discharged Veteran
Sgt., US Army
82nd Abn. Div., 1986-1990
Recalled to Active Duty in Support of Op. Desert Storm, 1991

Good luck to you. I wonder how much money S&W has made off that very program.

I'd rather see the return on the old army than a return of the letters.

If they can make money on the letters I say why not. If they are loosing money on the letters, then everybody who is buying new guns is paying extra so the collectors can have their letters.

S&W has a lot more history than Ruger has.

I can't think of any other industry that offers such a service. Ed

black029 said:

Good luck to you. I wonder how much money S&W has made off that very program.

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Thank you.
I'm optimistic and hoping for a positive outcome.

I was just told by Ruger that the letters are coming back soon and the link will be up on the Ruger website when this happens. Customer Service did not give me any type of time frame when this will happen though.

Nice. I will do the same...I can't do that easily from my phone but will when I get home.

If Ruger is losing money on writing the letters. That is an easy fix. How much were they? 10 dollars. Make it 20, who cares? It's not like someone will order 50 or 100 letters.

Kevin said:

Nice. I will do the same...I can't do that easily from my phone but will when I get home...

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Thank you for writing to the CEO, Kevin!
Every bit truly helps!

Vortex said:

I was just told by Ruger that the letters are coming back soon and the link will be up on the Ruger website when this happens. Customer Service did not give me any type of time frame when this will happen though.

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Thanks for the additional information, Vortex. The woman I spoke to a couple of weeks ago told me it was coming back, but didn't elaborate. It's a somewhat non-committal response but, at least it sounds positive.

Maybe, if enough forum members send a brief email, the process will avoid stalling and move forward.

Even if they charged what smith & wesson does it would still be worth it.

Vortex said:

Even if they charged what smith & wesson does it would still be worth it.

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NO, it would not be worth it ! As a matter of fact there is NO REAL HISTORY of the Ruger company, it's products, or it's personell. THIS is why " Ruger collectors " do NOT collect Ruger products perse' as they are ALL alike in any single genre' : THEY COLLECT SERIAL NUMBERS because there is really nothing else that is different about any of 'em. And if is has a "D" or an "S" stamped on it oh-my-golly-we-have-a-collectors-item.
There is more purly out'n'out BS written about "rare" or "collectable" Ruger firearms than anything else on the past thirty[30!!...or is it 40?] plus years that the RCA started to pull the wool over all the Ruger owners collective faces.

Well let see!!!! If I understand this correctly. The only collectible difference in Rugers is the serial numbers? Well you do have a good point. The first serial numbers were the small 1/16 size serial numbers, then Ruger changed them to the large 1/8 in. size and then they went to the digit pre-fix serial numbers and of course there is the Bearcats that had the Alphabet serial numbers. And the Serial numbers with the "A", "S", "D" and "U" and last but not the least the prototypes with the "X"

Now lets look at this a little deeper. Take the little Ruger Automatic Standard model. look at all the different changes they made to it. One they changed the grips from having escutcheons in the grips for the grip screws to not having the escutcheons. Some of the barrels had 5 grooved rifling and some had 6 grooved rifling. Some of the bolts had no recoil spring support and some did have it. And then there is the change from having a square muzzle crown to having a rounded crown. Lets not forget that some of the Red Eagles were shipped Railway Express in a Salt Cod Box and some were not. Then lets look at the safety button. Some had the large safety button and some had the small safety button. Then we have to look at the ejector port. Some of the earlier ones had the square port and the later ones had the rounded ports. And lets not forget the rear sight some of the earlier ones had the 1/4 in rear sight and the later ones had the larger 1/2 in sights. And Oh yes some of the guns had the plain un-blued bolts and some of the guns had blued bolts. And last but not the least some of the Red Eagles had Blued triggers and most had chromed triggers. The blued triggers were left over from the few chromed gun done, which is another collectible variation. It looks as if the little standard Red Eagles had at least 12 different changes if you count the Factory Engraved gun shipped to Herm Klein. Oh yes I forgot that there is a MK-I Red Eagle so that makes 13 changes in just the first 3 years of Sturm Ruger & Co.

When you look at the Single Action with different sights , steel or Alum ejector rods, XR3 or XR3-RED or Brass grip frames, different stamps used on the barrel address, different barrel lengths, changes in the boxes used, and convertible or non-convertible. Then there are the grips, Hard Rubber, Walnut, Stag, Ivory, Rosewood, and the different Eagles used in these grips.

After looking at all of these changes and I realize that I have probably missed that many more, I can see that you are right in your assumption that there is nothing about Rugers that are collectible. :lol: :lol: :lol: :roll:

If folks collect them, they are by definition "collectible".

Opinions to the contrary notwithstanding.



PS See street's commentary above for insight.

Vortex said:

Even if they charged what smith & wesson does it would still be worth it.

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I strongly suspect I would answer "+1!" -that is, if I had ever ordered and received a letter for one of my Rugers. I hope to be able to do that very soon. And, as far as I'm concerned, participating in this discussion (no matter your opinion) is a valid contribution. It's obvious where I stand on this topic. Street gave a more elaborate argument for collectibility than I could muster... well stated!

Ale-8(1) said:

If folks collect them, they are by definition "collectible".

Opinions to the contrary notwithstanding.



PS See street's commentary above for insight.

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Here! Here!

Wait. What does Smith and Wesson charge? And I'm not a collector but why would S & W be more collectable than Ruger? Just the fact they've been around longer? Not trying to be smart
I just don't get it.

Kevin said:

Wait. What does Smith and Wesson charge?

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$50 IIRC

Kevin said:

Wait. What does Smith and Wesson charge? And I'm not a collector but why would S & W be more collectable than Ruger? Just the fact they've been around longer? Not trying to be smart
I just don't get it.

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There are still some folks who believe that any gun not made by Clot, W&S, or Chestwinder is not collectible.

Suits me . . . more for the rest of us to appreciate.

eveled said:

I can't think of any other industry that offers such a service. Ed

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Doesn't Colt offer this service???